Homily for the Nativity Year A 2016
Christmas Night Mass Readings– Is. 9:1-6, Tit.
2:11-14, Lk. 2:1-14.
Introduction
In my seven years of living in New Orleans,
one of the things I have learnt is that Louisiana has two main religions:
Christianity and Football. Where else do
you find a football team called “The Saints”?
That is why today, I would like to use that deep and profound connection
that people here have with football, to reflect on the meaning of Christmas for
us Catholics.
Scripture and Theology
Where do we start, but with tailgating,
that uniquely American tradition, where people essentially bring their kitchen
to the stadium! Several hours before the
football game, in some cases even a whole day before, people cook and eat,
drink and have themselves a wonderful party, as they wait for the game to start.
Christmas also has a tail-gating of
sorts. Christians eagerly wait for
Christmas by celebrating the season of Advent.
But unlike sports tail-gating, Advent is a sober, restrained, even
penitential kind of waiting. During
Advent, Catholics prepare themselves for Christmas by going to Mass and listening
to the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah, the preparations done by John
the Baptist and the passages about how Jesus came to be born. Many Catholics also use the season of Advent
to do a semi-annual examination of their souls, checking the health of their
relationship with God and neighbour, and going to confession.
Then comes the great moment, the event that
gives meaning to the waiting; for tailgaters that moment is the kick-off of the
big game; for Christians it is the kick-off of Christmas Eve and all the
traditional Christmas festivities and traditions.
In the same way that the football game is a
battle between our team and the opponents, the Falcons, Christmas too is kind
of a battle in the long war between God's side and the other side. In fact God sent his Son into the world that
he might finally conquer the evil one. That
is what Isaiah prophesied in today’s first reading, when he promised the exiled
people of Israel: "The people who
walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of
gloom a light has shone." This
light would come with the birth of Jesus Christ, whom Isaiah called "Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever,
Prince of Peace" and whose reign would be "vast and forever peaceful."
And so much like in football where someone must win the game, even if it
means going to extra time, Christmas too is not just about the birth of some
cute little baby; it is about his coming to do battle and to win a victory for
God.
If sportscasters announce the winner of the
football game, the news of the Christmas victory was announced by the angel,
who said to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to
you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." And what is this good news of great joy? It is this: "For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is
Christ and Lord."
There are probably two recent dates that will
forever be etched in our memory here in the New Orleans area. The first is August 29, 2005, when hurricane
Katrina devastated this area. The second
is February 7, 2010, when the New Orleans Saints won the Superbowl, after a
42-year drought. The second event brought
hope and in some way eased and erased the despair of the first one.
Similarly, the birth of Jesus Christ was a victory
that erased the previous history of human sin and disobedience. That is why the angel calls it good news of
great joy. That is why St. Paul also sees in the birth of Jesus, "The grace of God [that] has appeared, saving
all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live
temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, . . .” Jesus comes at
Christmas to show us God's love and mercy, first by teaching us a new way of
relating to God, and then more importantly, by cancelling our debt of sin with
God by offering himself as a ransom for us.
That is why Christmas is good news of great joy, a Superbowl victory a
million times over.
Christian Life
What now?
What do we do when our team has won the game? I suppose we continue celebrating, doing some
kind of post-game tailgating, if we are still sober that is. That too, my friends, is what we must do after
Christmas.
The secular Christmas celebrations began on
Thanksgiving Day and end today,
·
The stores and malls will take
down the Christmas decorations tomorrow and already replace them with Valentine
Day Hearts.
·
The radio stations will stop
playing Christmas carols at midnight.
·
The neighbours will put the
tree in the trash bin first thing Monday morning.
But the Christian Christmas only begins
today and will go on for the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas and some. That is why unlike the secular world, we keep
our Christmas symbols for a while to continue celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Even better we also tailgate with prayer
and with liturgical feasts that shed more light on the birth of our Saviour.
·
Between Christmas and New
Year's Day, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family of Mary and Joseph, where
Jesus grew into a man.
·
Then on the eighth day after
Christmas, on New Year's Day, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary as Mother of God,
and dedicate the new year to her.
·
On or about January 6th,
we celebrate Epiphany, the visit of the Wise men to see the baby Jesus.
·
And finally we end the glorious
season of Christmas with the Baptism of the Lord Sunday, that ushers Jesus into
his public life.
This good news of great joy is too precious
to be enjoyed just for one day. We need
at least a week or two of Christmas tailgating to do justice to its meaning.
Conclusion
And yet, even this Christmas tailgating,
whether at home or in Church, is not the most important aspect of
Christmas. This Christmas must leave a lasting
impact on our spiritual lives, just like the Superbowl did for New Orleans. After the victory parades and parties, the
lasting effect of the championship was to be seen in the publicity for our city
and in the commitment of the fans to their team. People used to be give me
free tickets to watch the game; but after the Superbowl, those freebies, dried
up – people were now more committed to their team.
How is Christmas going to affect your life,
my life? Let me offer two suggestions:
1.
Perhaps after the turmoil of
the past year some of us are filled with a sense of despair and uncertainty
over the future. To us the angel says: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to
you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” We are all invited to find the ultimate
source of our hope in the “savior [who] has
been born for you who is Christ and Lord," and not elsewhere. As the host of angels sang for the shepherds,
peace on earth is to be found only on those on whom God's favor rests. It is to God that we must turn and in whom we
hope.
2.
A second effect of Christmas
should take the form of renewed commitment to the poor and lowly, those that
most resemble the poor baby Jesus born in the cowshed. Perhaps you have been watching the old
classic Christmas movies: A Charlie Brown
Christmas, It is a Wonderful Life, Miracle
on 34th Street. These
movies have staying power only because they depict Christmas, not as some big
party, but as an event that inspires some action for family and friends, for
employees and the stranger.
May our Christmas celebrations not just leave
us with a hangover and a few extra pounds; may Christmas leave us with a firm
commitment to our team, God's team, and to our fellow fans, our brothers and
sisters. Merry Christmas!
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